Trainwreck
by NightOfAThousandDreams
Summary: After a suicide attempt gone wrong, Ace is left paralyzed for life, and Buttercup is left in a deep coma. But while two souls are left fighting for their lives, another two will come together to save them from an unexplicable evil... AceCuppo SnakeBloss
1. Not Worth It

It was one of those days, those days that you came out of your little bubble and you finally understood what kind of life you were living. Definitely not the most fun days. They were days filled with sadness, misery, and anguish. They were the days of truth.

And Ace was having one of those days.

He had woken up that morning, and the kind of situation he was in had finally hit him. He had looked around and saw a dump. Not a home. A dump. He had looked in the mirror. No longer did he blind himself. No longer did he see himself as handsome and charismatic. No, he saw an ugly green guy staring straight back at him. He had finally looked at his gang and saw what they really were: a bunch of abused kids that did nothing but stupidy. No, they were not the Gangreen Gang. They were the Gangreen Idiots.

How long had he shielded his mind from his disease? From his current residence? From how damn messed up his life really was? Six or seven years maybe? He ran his hand through his thick, greasy hair. And when was the last time he took a bath? He looked at a random poster that was advertising cigars. Or at least, that's what he thought because all he could do was look at the picture and guess what the strange letters said. The fact that he couldn't even read a poster flooded his mind. Why couldn't he read?

All of these things began to taunt him. He was ugly. He was stupid. He nothing but an abused wannabe. And most of all, he couldn't even read a kid's book?

Since when had his life been so lame?

He felt like he was sinking into a dark pit. His usually sarcastic and charismatic smirk was gone. For good, he thought. He felt as if the ground beneath him was swallowing him up, waiting to take him straight to hell. His head throbbed from his revelation. God his life sucked! What was he supposed to do after this? Was he supposed to be in the Gangreen Gang forever? Or what? Who the hell was gonna hire him? He was illiterate, had been to juvie more times than he could count, and was pretty shameless too. So what the hell was in store for him? He had no future!

There was only one thing to do.

He quietly slipped out of the wooden hut, making sure that none of the boys could hear him.

Quietly.

He walked to the Townsville Station and waited for the next train to arrive. People distanced themselves from him. Others stared at him. There were even a few who were bold enough to confront him. This wasn't the first time he had gotten that kind of reaction.

But why did it sink so deeply now?

He saw the headlights from the oncoming train starting to appear in the otherwise dark tunnel. He gave himself one final smirk before stepping right in front of it and waited for his death...


	2. I Look After You

Screams.

Anguish.

Darkness.

These were the things that filled his mind as he began to feel his soul part from his body. It was the beginning of the end, he thought. And in a way he was right. But more so, he was wrong. The painful snap of his ribs did not attract his attention. Neither did the blood spurting out of his legs. No, what caught his attention was a green light that seemed to fill his eyes. It was...beautiful. Beautiful, mesmorizing, comforting. It defeated the screams. It defeated the anguish. It defeated the darkness.

The emerald brightness was the last thing he saw as his mind drifted into unconsciouness.

...

"Sir?"

Ace opened his eyes, only to quickly shut them once more. The room was too bright for his liking. Everything was white. The walls were white, the door was white, the bed was white, even the curtains were white. It was all so...clean. When was the last time he was somewhere clean?

"Sir?"

He slowly turned his head towards the source of the voice. A plump, red-haired nurse smiled upon him kindly. "Sir, are you awake?"

He nodded his head, his mind still in a daze.

The kind smile did not mask the anguish in her eyes. "How do you feel?"

_How do you think I feel?_ Ace wanted to snap. Instead he gave a small shrug.

She nodded, her mind seemingly out of sync. "Okay...could you please move your legs for me?"

He nodded. _Simple enough_, he reasoned. He began to move his legs. But he couldn't. Once again, he tried. Even though his legs were rather skinny, they seemed to weigh a ton. They felt cemented onto the bed. He couldn't believe it. His life just got worse! No...no. It was just a dream. Yes, that was right...a dream. He would wake up with Snake kissing up to him, Arturo zipping around like a little mosquito, and with Big Billy asking him stupid questions. Yeah...it was all a dream...

He tried again.

Failure.

Again.

Another failure.

Tears brimmed his eyes. He felt for his glasses. They were not on him. No. The stupid nurse would see him cry. No....NO!! This couldn't be happening...! His mind went blank as he felt himself scream out in a rage. "NO NO NO NO!! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO ME!?" He seemed to be outside of his body, watching himself throw pillows at the round nurse and screaming in protest. He seemed to see his eyes filled with tears and anger. Rage seeped into his blood. It was a nightmare...

"Sir! Calm yourself!" the nurse ordered. Ace ignored her, his shouts filling the room with utter agony.

"Sir..."

"Shut up! Can't you see that I can't frickin' use my legs anymore!?"

"Sir..."

"God, woman! Can't my life get any worse? SHUT THE HELL UP!"

"Sir!"

Ace glared at her, his pain mixing in with his shame. "What." he growled.

"You could have died..." she said through gritted teeth, the kindness replaced with a cold aura.

"That was kinda the whole point..." he muttered. "But no, I had to get _paralyzed_ instead!"

"THE GIRL WHO SAVED YOU IS IN A COMA!"

The statement brought an immediate silence. Ace blinked, the words not registering in his mind. "What do you mean...?"

The woman gave a heartless chuckle. "One of the Powerpuff girls is in a coma."

He stared in utter shock. No way...no frickin' way...

"...Which one...?" he asked, not wanting to find out.

"The green one. Buttercup. The impact had a more dramatic affect on her than on you. Her body mass blocked you from the full blast. Her, being a superhero, managed to get out of there alive, but..." the nurse heaved a sigh, her eyes watering up. "But even her superstrength couldn't stop the train's crushing of her bones."

Ace remembered the beautiful green light that he saw before he blacked out. "Oh...oh my God..." he murmured. Buttercup...

Buttercup...

BUTTERCUP!

His screams echoed through the halls. Pain. Anguish. Darkness. Torment. Anger. Rage.

Hhad thought that his life sucked before.

Now it wasn't even funny.


	3. The Stone Cold Heart

For the next several weeks, life for the nurses and doctors at the Townsville General was a living hell.

The shocking fact that Buttercup was a vegetable because of _him _drove Ace to borderline psychotic. His legs would itch. He would scratch. The itch wouldn't go away. He would scratch harder, fiercer. He had to get rid of the itch. He **had** to get rid of the itch! The red-haired nurse would often find his legs in a shredded state, his bloody fingernails deepening the wounds without fail.

At nights, when the air seemed still, quiet, and cold, a sudden shriek would break the silence, sending doctors into a panic that no one could imagine. The worst part was that they couldn't calm him down. He would scream, yell, thrash his limbs about...it was as if he were in a cold, dark dream. A dream that no one could awake him from.

And yet, during the day, he would be silent. Staring through the empty space before him. The Gang would often come to visit him, not even they could bring a single word to his lips. Snake would sit next to the empty shell that was once Ace, talking to him quietly. But the lisping sounds of his voice were the only vibrations to break through the air. Ace would stare straight ahead, not acknowledging the fact that Snake was right next to him, holding his hand, whispering words of comfort, trying to forget that he was losing another part of his "family".

On the other side of the hospital, Bubbles would be heard crying softly, her tears raining down like an unending storm. The professor would stay by Buttercup's side for days, sobbing, crying, shouting in a hoarse voice. But Blossom didn't cry. Her face was as emotionless as a marble statue, her pink eyes as hard as steel. But she was the most hurt, the most traumatized. Over and over, every night, she would relive that horrid moment. She was right there. She was **right there.** Why didn't she stop Buttercup? Why didn't she just let the jerk die?

No, she would remind herself. Buttercup did the right thing...but at what cost?

_It was a cold morning in Townsville. People huddled around in groups, parents dressing their children like Eskimos. Two girls stood out in the pale white scene. Pink and green. People turned around and stared in awe. **The Powerpuff Girls! **Whispers would fill the air._

_"Why can't we be like normal superheroes and have secret identities?" Buttercup muttered, taking another sip of the warm cocoa she held in her hands. "Everytime we go out, people stare at us like we're monkeys or something..."_

_"Remember what the Professor said," Blossom replied, tugging at her light pink scarf. "It's better to be truthful and feared than to be dishonest and afraid."_

_"Yeah, yeah...whatever," Buttercup muttered under her breath. Blossom looked at her thoughtfully. Besides the punkish clothing and the slightly longer hair, Buttercup hadn't changed much over the years. She was still tough. Still bold. Still blocking her heart from the people around her. But then again, none of them had really changed. Bubbles, even though a popular cheerleader, was not snobby or stuckup. She was still sweet, and definetily still innocent. Blossom was still the most 'normal' of the group; she acted like any other girl...except she had superpowers. In fact, she was the only one in their group who had ever dated a boy._

_And...well, it was a disaster. But still..._

_But it seemed as if all Buttercup cared about was fighting, music, and being the winner. Her heart seemed like a stone, but Blossom felt that there had to be **some** tenderness in there..._

_"Oh my God!"_

_Shouts filled the air, a rush of adrenaline spreading like a virus. The two girls faced a growing crowd around the subway station. Shouts, boos, cheers..._

_Wha...?_

_"He's gonna kill himself!" somebody yelled, his voice hoarse from screaming over the crowd._

_"Well at least he's doing something right..." another voice giggled._

_A swarm of panic and hysteria began to formulate. Buttercup instantly raced to the front of the crowd. "What the hell-OH MY GOD!"_

_Blossom tried to be as polite as possible as she pushed through the crowd. "What is it Buttercup?" Blossom asked. She began to panic. Where was Buttercup? She couldn't see her... The smell of sweat filled her nostrils as she became nauseated from the constant pushing and tugging in the paranoid crowd. "Excuse me...pardon me..." No use. No one listened to her. "Buttercup? BUTTERCUP?"_

_"YOU IDIOT!" Blossom could hear her sister's voice loud and clear, though she had lost trace of her in the crowd. "Buttercup? What's wrong? Where are you?"_

_A flash of green went off, followed by a loud, sickening, crunching noise. Blossom forgot her politeness. She pushed her way through the crowd, not caring who she 'hurt' in the process._

_"Buttercup?"_

_She approached the debris. The train was wrecked, its windows shattered and small flames beginning to appear within the wreck. Pink eyes scanned the ruins, trying to detect her sister. "...Buttercup...?" Blossom asked once more, her eyes falling upon the still form of a girl, protecting something with such willpower it destroyed the entire train. Her face was still in a permanent scowl. But it wasn't a scowl of hate. It was more of a scowl of determination. What could possibly drive Buttercup to do this...?_

_And then, Blossom knew..._

...

The scene would repeat itself over and over in Blossom's mind. And sometimes, she would just sit there, staring at her sister, thinking, wishing...

She wished she was there for her.


	4. Complicated

The best word to describe Snake's relationship with Ace was...complicated.

They were best friends, much to the surprise of many. Only Ace knew about Snake's disturbing past, and only Snake knew about Ace's semi-obsession with the green Powerpuff. While most saw Ace as a manipulative freeloading scammer, Snake saw a trusted friend whom he could confide with. While most saw Snake as a cruel, unusual creature, Ace saw him as a loyal friend and second-in-command.

But of course, their relationship wasn't just roses and rainbows.

Ace had a temper and a tendency to get into a drunken rage. Most people would be smart enough to stay away from him and let the anger subside. Snake wouldn't. Even through these circumstances, the reptile-like boy would stay by his leader's side. Ace would be too drunk, or too bored, for that matter, the know this, or even care. The lanky boy served as Ace's punching bag, each hit filled with anger and pain. Snake would take it. No matter how much it hurt him physically and emotionally, he would take it. In some sick, twisted way, he knew that he was helping him.

Of course, Ace meant no harm; he thought that Snake didn't mind, as he would laugh with a slight hiss at the end of the day. Anywho, they were best friends, right? Snake _probably_ didn't care. Ace mistook his friend's loyalty for submission, and he misused it excessively. Never did he see the blood stained blade under Snake's pillow. Never did he take note of the faint, but very real scars on his friend's wrist. And never did he hear the small whimpers at night, followed by silver tears.

As these two were familiar with each other's past, they were unknowingly distant to each other's present dilema.

Though the two were "just friends" they did share some...intimate secrets. When the other gang members were in a deep sleep, or were out partying, hot kisses and roaming occured. Not that either of them were gay, or even bisexual; they were just bored teens. Or, at least Ace was. Each of these moments would ease his mind, help him forget about his conflicting feelings for Buttercup, and just help him relax. Snake's thin, fragile body and his long, thick hair would often remind Ace of girl. So wrapping his legs around him and sticking his tongue into his mouth was "normal".

Snake, on the other hand, wouldn't do it out of boredom, or even out of easing of the mind. No, he did it out of lonliness, out of the hope that somehow this would heal the gash in his heart that so many others had deepened. He also did it out of loyalty. Ace would usually start the passionate sessions, his expert mouth causing shivers down Snake's spine. The skinny gang member did not want to disappoint Ace, or lose his friendship with his boss.

_So simple, and yet **so** complicated..._

Blossom wandered down the whitewashed hall, her pink eyes unknowingly scanning every person who passed her. An iron front was set, silently warning everyone around her to stay away from her. Her eyes hadn't shed a tear, her lips were tightly set. It was as if she were walking in a living dream, everything in her path a distorted replica of reality. Every step she took, something inside of her broke. It was as if she were walking on fire...

"It'sss gonna be okay Ace..."

A familiar lisp broke Blossom's silent world. She looked around, her brilliant red hair thrashing about as she frantically searched for the source of the voice. Quickly, but quietly, she tiptoed down the otherwise empty hall. She looked at her watch. It was 11:20 PM. The last of the doctors had departed from this side of the hospital long ago. And as far as she knew, visiting hours were over, except for family members, of course. She peeked into a slightly opened room. Sure enough, Snake was there, holding Ace's unmoving hand. Ace was fast asleep, his arms tied down to the bed. Blossom wondered why they would do that to an injured patient...?

"I knowss you're there."

Blossom felt her blood go cold from the sudden whisper. She opened the door and walked in. Snake didn't even turn his head. "What do you wantss?" he muttered.

Blossom sat down next to him, her face still as unfeeling as a marble statue. "Can't I visit the boy who sent my sister to the hospital?" she replied, her eyes watching the steady heart rate on the moniter.

An quiet, but angered hiss was let out. "You knows as well as I do that it was an accident," he said in a silent defense. "He would never hurt Cuppa."

Blossom raised an eyebrow. "Is that so...?" she murmured. She eyed Snake in a disturbingly analyzing way. "You know, that sounds a little _too_ defensive to me..."

Snake looked away, trying to hide an upcoming blush from the pink Powerpuff. "He's my friend."

Blossom smirked. "With the way he treats you, I'd say you're more like scum to him..." she said coolly. Deep inside of her, her good nature cried out at her, scolding her for picking a fight with Snake even though he did nothing to him. She put the thought aside.

Snake turned to her, a boiling rage visible in his eyes. "Shut up..." he hissed. "You think you're the only one hurting? Well news flash, you're NOT. Do you know how much this is hurting me?" Blossom felt her heart sink with guilt. Those vermillion eyes were definitely full of sadness. Ace may have been scum to her, but Snake, and apparently, Buttercup, he was a person.

She turned away. "...I'm sorry..." she forced herself to say.

An awkward quietness filled the room, only broken by the beeping of the IV monitor. Blossom unconsciounscely looked over Snake, her mind in a swirl. His long, dirty hair seemed pretty under the white lights. His slim build seemed a bit less weak, and a bit more firm. His nose seemed to be...beautiful, in a vermillion way. Overall, he seemed....attractive...

Blossom shook the thought away from her head. Why she was thinking this way, she had no idea. Perhaps it was the circumstances; perhaps it was just her broken heart. Either way her head still hurt. She glanced up to see Snake staring at her, his slitted eyes analyzing her in thought. He quickly turned away, his hat covering the oncoming blush. In his mind, he knew what was coming. It was inevitable.

_Another complicated relationship._


	5. Chained Liberty

**Author's note: In case you're wondering, I closed the age gap. The Girls are teens, and so are the Gang. Sue me. Hey, I'm not a big fan of pedophilic romances.... -_-**

* * *

An empty quietness filled the room, the steady beeping of the heart monitor the only sound breaking the silence. Snake remained at his usual seat at Ace's bedside. Ace was strangely quiet. He hadn't had an outburst in two weeks now. He just stared blankly ahead, or would try to teach himself how to read by looking at the strange characters in the nearest kid's book. Either way, Ace kept to himself. He would never acknowledge anyone's presence in the room. His eyes were an empty dark glass, as if no soul lurked behind the deep black eyes.

Snake could not bear to look at his friend in this state anymore. But he stayed seated. His unending loyalty for his best friend overpassed any desire to leave the room. Snake glanced at the mirror, looking at the morbid reflection. It seemed so unearthly how he could look into that snake-like boy's eyes, and yet not see his own soul. He cocked his head a bit, his dirty fingernails running through his greasy hair. He had changed somewhat since he had first encountered the little superpowered girls. Instead of being a tall, puberty-stricken teen, his build had become less skinny and more firm. His nose had He was approaching his seventeenth birthday. He looked over to the lifeless doll that was once Ace.

Some lousy birthday present.

His vermillion eyes unconciously drifted towards the slightly opened door. For some reason, he was waiting for something to happen. He wasn't really sure exactly _what_ he was waiting for. All he knew was that he expected something, some_one_. A blush tinted his cheeks as he remembered the pretty redhead.

It seemed weird that he was thinking about her that way. Only a few years ago, the girls were five years of age. Beating their asses. But on their sixth birthday, they looked twelve. On their 7th, fourteen. The professor had conducted a few tests that had stopped the rapid age processing, but had failed to revert the back to their cute, doll like appearance. They would mature like normal human, and would attend a private facility in an unknown area of Townsville.

It was then when Ace began to develop feelings for the green Puff. Snake leaned back against his chair as he remembered that day...

_They were dead drunk, their green bodies strewn about the floor like human rugs. She stood outside of the bar, counting the bodies. One...two...three...four. Wait, four? Where was...?_

_"If you're looking for an ass to kick, I'm over here."_

_The green-clad girl spun around, her eyes meeting his. "I'm not looking around to hurt you," she said quietly._

_Ace gave out a snort, the beer bottle in hand smashing against the dirty pavement. "Really? Ya crack me up..." He paused, his fingers fingering something in his pocket. "Everyone wants ta hurt poor ole' Ace. Cuz he ain't good enough for this world. Ain't that right?"_

_Buttercup bent down, her eyes meeting his. A strange calm took over her body. Her need to fight was no longer running in her blood. She wanted... to help._

_"Don't you dare think that way," she hissed. "Even a low-life like you deserves a second chance at life."_

_The drunken boy gave out a hollering whoop. "Lookey here, Snake. I'm worth something!"_

_The vermillion boy gave no answer. He had one beer too much to drink._

_"Listen to me!" she growled. The hoarse desperation in her voice gave Ace a start. In his drunken haze he could barely make out the pretty superhero in front of him. But what he did see, through all of the liquor in his blood, what he did realize, was her heart._

_Snake groaned, his stomach threatening to release another chunk of bile. Hazily, but distinctively, he listened to their conversation. He forced himself to open an eye to watch what was going to happen. He watched as Ace began to take out a needle and throw it into the sewer behind him, as if he was giving up on his only lease on life. The leading gangster then looked back up to the Powerpuff before him, his eyes darting away from hers. Finally, he spoke._

_"I'mma listenin'" he said with a hiccup. The two looked at each other, each broken heart cherishing the moment. Buttercup then leaned next to Ace and drew him into a tight hug. Limbs mangled with one another as the two figures in the dim alley cried softly into each other's shoulder. The dark-haired girl then leaned against Ace's ear._

_"You...won't...give up...." she whispered. And, as if sealing her order, she gave him a soft, but meaningful kiss._

"Hey..."

Snake gave a start, looking around anxiously, looking for the voice that had taken him away from the hazy memory. His eyes rested on the now fifteen year-old Blossom. Her nice, but not curvacious, figure was fitted prettily with a pink denim outfit. Her face, even without the effects of make-up, was glowing radiantly. Her lips were trembling, her mind seemingly set in a no-return mission.

"Would you...like to walk with me...?" she asked softly.

Snake felt his cheeks redden. When was the last time a girl had spoken to him so tenderly? No one, not even his mother, had given him such a sympathetic look. He was a monster... a monster to all...

"If...you don't want to, that's fine, I mean-"

"Okayssss...."

Pink eyes looked up in shock, not really believing what Snake had said. She then gave a small smile and took his hand. "Come on boy," she said with some vigor. "We shouldn't be cooped up in here all day. Let's get some fresh air!"

Snake yelped in surprise as Blossom's strong, sturdy arms swung him across her back. "Let's go!" she said. She felt a rush of adrenaline fill her body as she sped out of the hospital and jumped up into the sky. Snake's arms were holding her tightly, knowing that if he let go, he was done for. Blossom giggled. It felt weird, how she rapidly jumped from shy to hyper. She flew at breath-taking speed across the clouds, her arms holding the gangster in a piggy-back fashion. Soon his yelps of alarm turned into soft hisses of delight.

Since when did he feel that free? That liberated? The air pressing against his face, the wind whipping his long hair in back of him. He gave a rare, but sincere laugh as he held on tighter to the pink Powerpuff.

"Having fun?" she asked, giggling? Whenever she was down, a quick flight would usually calm her nerves. Ever since Buttercup's accident, she hadn't even left the hospital. But now...

She felt liberated.

She felt her feet touch the floor and grinned. "Did you have fun?" she asked.

Snake blushed, looking at the floor. "I uh...yeah. Yeah, I had funs."

Blossom grinned. "Awesome! Didn't that feel great?" The adrenaline had yet to leave her body, the surge of excitement intoxicating her thoughts. Happiness was all she could think about.

Snake smiled. "Yess.... that felt....freeing." He inched towards her, not really knowing what he was doing. The cheery, intellectual smile on Blossom's face slowly faded as she took a thick strand of dark hair into her hand. She cocked her head as she took her hand and slowly dragged it across his pale green face. They were leaning in closer...closer.

Finally he stopped. "Nos. We can'ts do thisss..." he muttered. He then spun around and run away.

Blossom let her hand fall limply by her side as she watched the fleeing boy.

_What kept the heart chained?_


	6. Understanding

**Er, yeah, sorry for the slow update...been busy BUT i wanted to submit a new chapter before my surgery (which is tommorrow *cries*) Anyways, hope you enjoy! :D**

_The raindrops fell heavily against the stained sidewalk; the sound of its thunderous descent violently invading the otherwise empty alley. It was cold; so cold that nearly everyone had scurried away for shelter. The rain seemed to pierce like knives against fragile flesh. No one dared to go outside._

_Except for him._

_The raindrops rolled down his pale green skin, water dripping through his long, dirty hair. He was utterly out of place in that kind of weather; instead of being heavily coated with layers of jackets and scarves, all he had were a pair of weathered jeans and a leather jacket that did nothing to keep the freezing touch of frost from nipping at his gangrenous skin. His limbs shivered violently as he approached the Townsville Bridge. Something light touched his shoulder. He glanced up and noted the tiny snowflakes that were gradually replacing the harsh rain. His grin grew a bit wider. His demise was set in stone, that was for sure. His eyes went heavenward as he stepped onto the railing that kept people from falling over into the ravenous river below. He licked his protruding fangs. In a few days, weeks, or even years, his body would be found floating into Townsville Bay, decayed just as much as his heart was that instant. He looked into the eye of the storm and laughed crazily._

_"Freaking fun, isn't it!?" he cried into the wind. "Ain't it fun to smash a worthless ant into the ground?"_

_He looked around. Everything was silent, empty._

_Lonely._

_So that was how his death would be... lonely. Not that he, or anyone else, cared. His life was worthless crap. People cared more about their prissy little dogs more than they cared about him. He took off his sunglasses and stared at them. They were his only real possesion; the only thing that his high and mighty monster of his father let him take out of the house nearly two years ago. Two years ago, when he remarried, got uppity spoiled brats for sons, and decided that he wasn't good for his image. He quickly blinked out a tear. He refused to cry then, and he would most certainly refuse to cry now. With a resolved expression, his cold, long fingers silently let go of his glasses, his eyes watching as they slowly drifted down with the wind towards the water. An emerald light quickly caught his attention, his eyebrows cocked a bit as the ray of light dived down towards the raging river and up towards his delicate situation._

_"You dropped these," a voice mumbled. Pale hands with green nail polish slowly uncovered the item that was clenched so tightly a second before. Ace's eyes drifted from the sunglasses to the superhero's solemn face. He felt himself crack a grin._

_"I won't be needing those anymore," he said with forced amusement. He then took a step towards the ledge. A flash of green quickly appeared in front of him._

_"Okay, you know what?" Buttercup said, backing him against a wall "Get. A. Grip."_

_Ace sneered. "Oh, look at me, I'm Buttacup! I'm the pretty gal who saves people from killing themselves so they can return to their miserable lives." He looked away, expecting some sort of bruising to appear on his face._

_Instead he felt himself flying in the air, his feet dangling miles from the ground. "Okay, what the hell do you want?" he asked, daring himself to look down below._

_"You know what, people have told me what they think about you. They said that you're just another high-school drop out who can't even read. That you're a stupid ass deliquent who doesn't give a crap about what happens to them. That you're **worthless.**_

_"But I said, no, you're all wrong. I said that I believed in you, even if you don't have the best situation. You ain't just another dyslexic kid who cries everytime something hurts him. You're...special..._

_Ace's grin slowly faded, his black eyes growing larger by the minute. He tried to think up of something to say, some comeback, just...something. But he couldn't. All he could do was stare at her. At this girl, who he had betrayed three years before, when she was still a kid. A pang of guilt churned his stomach. Beneath that tough exterior, he could tell that she had a heart of gold, pure selflessness. Why, he didn't know. Even though she was a "teen" now, he still knew that she was still very innocent, so accepting of the world. She could punch, kick ass, and save Townsville from one of Mojo Jojo's schemes with relish, but her rebellious spirit wasn't the way his was. Her view of the world was so naive... so... childlike. And, in some twisted way, he had, well, fallen in love with her._

_But he knew that it shouldn't be that way. She was good, he was bad. She was a superhero, he was a scumbag. She was on everyone list of "good things"; he was barely higher than a wad of gum. Somehow, she didn't see that. Somehow, she still loved him, even after all the hurt he had done to her._

_"You just makin' that up," he mumbled. "You know that I' ain't nothin'."_

_Buttercup finally floated down to the middle of a dump. She looked around, and picked up a piece of discarded metal. "No." she said simply. She walked up to him and shoved the metal into his face. "**This** is junk!" she said angrily. She threw a rotten banana at his feet. "This is trash!" She cradled his face in her strong, yet delicate hands. He stilfed a groan. "You ain't none of that, stupid," she murmured. She pushed him to the ground. His eyes widened as she hoovered over him. "You're not worthless."_

_She then closed the space between them in a long awaited kiss of passion._

* * *

Snake's eyes looked up heavenward, his hands lazily trying to grab the sun. He snorted. That was how life was. Trying to grab something that you could never attain.

He had collapsed onto the cool grass several minutes before, trying to rest from running away from a situation that should have never occured. They were supposed to be enemies... especially with Blossom. She knew nothing about him... nothing about his life. If she knew the truth, she would have run away and screamed in horror like everyone else. Actually, he was surprised that his appearance hadn't done that to her already. Sure, he had changed much since his fifteenth year, but he still felt insecure about himself. He absently picked at a scale from his lower eyelid. Maybe... maybe he was cursed. That would explain so much about him that it wouldn't be funny.

"Snake!"

He cringed. It was Blossom's voice. Why she was even bothering looking for him, he didn't know. Desperately, he pressed himself against the ground, hoping for some kind of miracle that she wouldn't see him. He squeezed his eyes closed. He could hear her footsteps approaching.

"Snake, come on... what's wrong?" Blossom called out, looking for him diligently. She peered through the long grass that was swaying lazily in the soft breeze. Nothing. He wasn't there...wait. The artificial brown color clashed violently with the soft color of the earth. She smirked to herself. _Huh, I knew he was kinda like a snake..never thought he would be like a chamileon too..._

She approached him, and lifted an eyebrow. He looked oddly..._cute_, in his position. He was curled up in a fetal position, hugging his knees and shaking violently. His eyes were squeezed shut, as if childishly thinking that if he didn't see her, she couldn't see him. She let out a chuckle. "So uh, this is your brilliant idea of a hiding spot?" she asked, amused.

Snake relunctantly opened an eye. "Go away." he murmured.

Blossom's smirk faded. "Why?" she asked in an almost motherly tone. She plopped herself next to him casually. "Come on Snake. You can't hide anything from a Powerpuff."

Snake sat up uncomfortably, carefully avoiding her eyes. "You don't understand."

Blossom cocked her head to the side. "What don't I understand?" she asked. For some reason she saw something that she felt that Buttercup saw in Ace. How long she had criticized her green-eyed sister for having feelings for the Gangreen leader, even to the point of forgiving him for what he had done to her. She had seen no sense in it, no logic at all. She thought that Buttercup knew better than that; that she knew that scum like that was better left alone. But now, she felt like she was the one in the wrong the whole time. Something was wrong here, and she was determined to find out why. Maybe not now, but later.

For now, she sat silently next to him, her mind telling her that the best way to handle the situation was to say nothing. Instead, she sneaked a hand towards him, and grabbed his in a firm clasp. He whimpered in surprise, but barely fought to free himself. Instead, he hesitantly moved a bit closer to her and kissed her cheek lightly. He looked away quickly, ashamed that he had dared to touch her.

Blossom smiled a bit to herself and went in front of him. She leaned closer to him, grabbing him when he tried to move away. She could feel his heart pound a bit, his breaths becoming short and rapid. Blossom lowered her forehead against his, and faintly whispered, "You can tell me anything" before pushing him back and kissing him gently.


	7. Bubbles' Confusion

**I'm SO sorry for the late update! I have no excuses really, just a really bad bout of writer's block ^^. Well, I hope you like the twist in this chapter! :)**

**~Hana~**

~.~

He was walking on an endless trail, eyes squinting, trying to make out the road ahead. Withered grass crunched with a sickening crack as his footsteps left them bent in their wake. But he didn't care. All he cared was to get out of this misery...to reach the light. The light...it was _so_ close, _so_ close! He could feel its warmth breathe onto his neck, blowing his oily black hair gently. Just a bit further, and he would be able to touch it, to grasp it in his hands.

"_Ace?"_

The Gangreen leader snapped his head to attention as a shadowy figure started to make its way out of the distance. He slitted his eyes venemously, fingers clutching his pocket knife protectively. But wait. He knew that voice. But it couldn't be. She was gone, dead, forever out of his life...wasn't she?

Hesitantly, the young man felt painful words escape his lips. "B...Buttacup?" The shadow stopped. He could clearly see that it was female; the curves were a telltale sign; but he was hesitant to believe that it was the green Powerpuff, awake, alive. He cautiously made his way forward to her, his green hands trembling visciously. "Buttacup? Is that yous?" he asked quietly, something never expected from the once cocky teenager.

Slowly, green eyes met with his onyx ones. "Ace..." she whispered before walking towards him slowly, then jumping up at super-speed and tackling him to the ground. "Ace!" she repeated happily, hugging him tightly. The older teenager blinked before pushing her back gently. "You...you ain't dead?" he mumbled, his eyes still full of disbelief.

The tough superhero snorted. "Why would I be dead? What gave you that dip-shit idea?" she scoffed, before giving him a sincere smile. "I'm so glad you're okay," she whispered. Her eyes then snapped into angry orbs. Ace fell back as a painful stinging sensation dug through his cheek. "Okay wise-guy, why the HELL did you jump in front of that stupid train?"

Ace sneered before opening his mouth, then closing it back again. Why..._just why_ did he do it again? He couldn't remember. He could only remember the lonliness...the pain...the burden of misunderstanding crushing him slowly, but surely. There wasn't a word that he could put his finger on that would describe _why_ he tried to kill himself. Just lonliness...just...misunderstanding...

And then, he got it.

Buttercup's burning rage began to soften as he took her hand into his own. "Because..." he stuttered. "Because..."

She rolled her eyes and glared at him once more. "Just get over it!" she snapped, though her eyes were pleading with him solemnly. It was funny...her actions and words acted so tough, but her eyes were always the source of comfort for the gang leader. He closed his eyes tightly, refraining the tears from escaping.

"Because of you."

Her eyes widened in shock. "Wh...what?" she stumbled on her words, not believing what he had just said. "Why? WHY?!" She lept up and slammed him against a wall, which had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. He hissed in pain as a sharp jolt echoed through his back. She took no mind to the harm that she had caused, her own pain was eating her from the inside out. She snarled at him fiercely, though her eyes were watery with hurt. "Why...?" she whimpered again, slamming her fist harshly against the wall, only inches away from Ace's head. A lone tear ran down his cheek. The first tear he had shed in over two years.

He ran a hand against her tear-streaked face, before pulling her in and kissing her softly. "Because I couldn't live without you," he whispered, the words gritting against his throat. "No matter what you say, it wasn't gonna happen. You was a supa-hero, everyone loved ya. Me...I was the scum of the earth....no one cared for me...not even..._him_." He spat that last word out with such venom, Buttercup gritted at the sound of his voice.

"We...we can still be together, it didn't have to be this way!" she yelled, before breaking down and crying into his leather jacket, her strong grip ripping holes into his overcoat. Ace hugged her back. "Least...least we're here, ain't we?"

Buttercup looked up at him and smiled. "Y...yeah. We're here...together."

_Together..._

~-~-~

The code blue resonated across the hospital, sending doctors and nurses rushing towards two rooms at once.

~.~.~

Bubbles floated weakly down the dim halls, her once vibrant blue eyes now downcast, darkened instead of bright. Her once bubbly laughter was now gone from her throat. What had she done? _WHAT THE HELL HAD SHE DONE?!_

As she approached a dark room, familiar red fumes encircled her enticingly, sending euphoric shivers down her spine. A delicate hand emerged from the hazy illusion, tapping itself softly against the blonde's throat. _Did you do it?_ a feminine, soft voice echoed from seemingly nowhere. Bubbles swallowed, the lump in her throat becoming increasingly unbearable. "Y-yes..." she whispered.

_Good..._ The hand vanished, only for thin, yet beautiful body emerge. No longer was **he** the funny-looking cross-dressing demon from their days as five-year olds. Gone was the painted skin, goofy smile, and high-pitched voice. No, **his** fun with that illusion had ended long ago. Now, his true form was seen by all. Beautiful velvet skin, angelic face with chiseled cheeks, carrassed by soft raven hair. Gone were **his** lobster-like features, replaced by the image of pure beauty. **He **was no longer the clownish devil. **He** was now a fallen angel.

Bubbles blushed furiously. "A-are you sure that this will make Buttercup better?" she whispered hoarsely. **He** smiled before planting a delicate, yet dominate kiss on her lips. "Of course, darling. Of course"


End file.
